TopperEZLift

Got my system all installed, shakedown is next weekend. Anyone want info?

 

no thanks

 

Just saw the post in the 2nd gen thread. Interested to see how it works.

 

can you get rid of the canvas and still use the windoors?

 

insanely cool, with an insane price

 

This thing shows it pretty good

 

good talk, fam.

It's got four electric actuators that get mounted in the bed and camp onto the cap. They get wired together to a control box which then goes to the battery. Apparently they are good for 900lb of weight, which is nice to know.

The canvas just attaches to the bottom rail of the cap and to the bed, so you can still use the windoors even with the canvas attached. It's all held on by velco, so the tent is totally removable if you need to.

 

That's pretty neat! Thank you for sharing

 

Tons of people don't have an issue spending as much on a RTT. I live in a condo and don't have the headroom in the parking garage, so this seemed like a better option. Plus, I do a lot of winter camping and need a hard roof due to snowfall.

 

$$$$$$$$$$$?????????????

 

Does yours have the extended tailgate section as shown in the video posted below? I had a leer 180 on my 17. It work good. Just looking at different options for my 18 build. Plan on doing a lot of 2-3 day weekend trips

 

I went with the contractor model, as I plan to use this in the winter and didn’t think the extension would hold a lot of snow.

 

How does that look like it would hold up to wind?

 

Depends on how windy I guess? There might be a bit of a sway with the canopy if it were to be really gusting, but the lift is rated for 900lb so it's rather sturdy.

 

A weight rating has no bearing on how well it would hold up to wind. A 2x4 can support hundreds of pounds, but will fall over if you blow on it. A decent ground tent hold up to 50+ mph winds but won’t support more than a few pounds.

 

Sure but four 2x4s standing on end and joined by a top and bottom frame would hold up in the wind.

Are you asking if the tent sides will hold up in wind or if the topper will blow off of the truck?

 

Such an epic setup. IMHO this trumps a lot of what’s on the market right now... just picked up a topper, ordering the lift system today. Stoked

 

Hey buddy-

I don’t want you to think I’m trying to poo on your setup. Infact, I’m not the biggest fan of my RTT and I’m looking for something that doesn’t cost $6,000+.

Around here in the Southwest it can get pretty windy, 30+ mph winds are really not that unusual in the hills / mountains. One nice thing about our current RTT setup is how well it holds up in the wind, the truck can rock and sway in the wind and the tent takes it just fine. The worst likely outcome is the wind will bend a couple of poles which can be easily fixed or replaced.

My concern with the EZtopper is the actuators point straight up and down while extending 18 inches up with large flat(ish) panels measuring 3’ x 6’ to collect wind. Will a 30mph wind hitting a vertical(ish) panel that big bend $1200 worth of actuators and ruin my trip? I'd imagine the actuators must be pretty much perfectly straight to function without binding.

Regards,
Mike

 

No worries. It just wasn't clear to me exactly which aspect you are asking about. I haven't tested it in conditions like that, but what I will say is that the beauty of this setup is that it allows quick raise/lowering. If it gets super gnarly, you can lower it half or the whole way if there are concerns and still have room to sleep in a hard-sided enclosure.

I don't foresee the actuators bending, as the are pretty damn burly. They also have a small amount of play and are not completely rigid so they should, in theory, be able to move as needed to minimize any crazy damage.

FWIW I've seen the manufacturer say that you could technically drive it in the "up" position without issue, but they recommend you lower it at least half way.